Report: Ime Udoka Played Strong Role In Rockets Trading For Kevin Durant

According to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Ime Udoka played a strong role in the Houston Rockets getting Kevin Durant. 

The Rockets traded Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft and five second-round picks to the Phoenix Suns for Durant, the eighth leading scorer in NBA history. 

Durant and Udoka worked together on the Brooklyn Nets in 2020-21. 

“And Udoka, who recently received a lucrative contract extension, was a strong behind-the-scenes advocate for adding Durant’s bucket-getting to the Rockets’ very youthful core despite Houston’s well-chronicled timeline concerns given that the future Hall of Famer turns 37 in September,” Stein wrote. 

“The Rockets, remember, have also managed to hold on to another of Durant’s closest friends: Assistant coach Royal Ivey. As The Stein Line reported earlier this month, multiple teams — including San Antonio — have been trying to hire away Ivey, who committed to staying on Udoka’s staff after he did not land the Suns’ head coaching job.”

The Rockets will be a title contender next season. They were the second seed in the West this season and just added one of the best scorers the game has ever seen. 

Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season. The 15-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP shot 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line.

The Rockets lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2025 playoffs in seven games. They haven’t won a title since 1995. 

A future Hall of Famer, Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 1,123 NBA games with the Oklahoma City, Warriors, Nets and Suns. He won four scoring titles and the 2014 MVP Award with the Thunder and back-to-back rings and Finals MVPs with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. 

Durant, 36, has one year left on his contract. The NBA legend can extend with Houston for up to two years, $122.1 million starting on July 6.